The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1887-08-31
DISGRACEFUL.
The Wheeling Soldiers Reunion Spelled by
Republicans.
The President Of the United States F.sgraltl7
Insulted.
Many Old Soldiers solemnly Declare that
They are Done with the g. Ar,
Forever.
Wheeling Register, August al


The bipartisan" G. A. r. organiga-
tions taking part in the demonstration of
yesterday noon, with some honorable ex-
ceptions, made an exhibition Of mslignity
and bitterness of heart which may well
bring blush of shame to the cheek of
every patriotic man, aud cause ming ed
feelings of Indignation and sorrow to Eli
the breast Of every citizen of this comma
nifty. the scenes enacted in front of the
Register Office, beneath the portrait Of
the Commander-in-Ch Chief of the army and
navy of the United States, were so dis
graceful in their nature, and so totally IN
expected by the general public, that even
those who witnessed them were for time
surprised into silence and Inundated be-
yond expression by what took place.. but
when there could be no longer any doubt
OF the studied purpose Of the men
passing before them-when it became evil
cent that the whole proceeding had been
p-emeditsted and carried into execution
with a deliberate purpose of not only mar
ring the splendor OF the Reunion, but of
int uting to the teeth majority of the
people of Wbeeling-tbe indignation knew
no bounds, SIS for a time It seemed that a
week of cordial and fraternal greeting and
an era OF unaoounded hospitality. without
q parallel in the history OF the State, was
TO be ended in conflict between the agress-
ors and those upon whom the indignity
mad been pnt-between guest and host
between the soldiers Of Pennsylvania and
Ohio aud West Virginia and the citizens OF
a town who at so much cost to themselves
had extended their hands in greeting and
had entertained with hospitality only
limited by their ability and opportunity.
So cowardly, so shameful, so Gtrocious was
this onslaught upon good taste-this
outrage upon common decency-
that language fails to furnish
fitting terms wherewith to denounce its
instlgatoTs;-or in which to characterize
those who carried it out. For 1t there can
be go ext use, no palliation, no condone-
ment, for the testimony Of thousand
witnesses show that the officers of the
various posts of this ''non-partisan" or
der urged their men from the straight path
which lay unobstructed before them iato
the crowded cutters, that they might make
their insult the more prominent, and ia
many instances Post Commanders aud
their aids grasped the stats of flags which
had been carried through the smoke of
honorable war and dragged them down to
q level with their disgraced selves. Men
who would otherwise have shown their
manlipess and sense of business aud brains
were thus led by their officers into taking
part in public mark of disresDect to the
President, and unwittingly, perhaps, be-
came covered with the disgrace, and made
their pretensions 20 patriotism and love
of country seem the sham it is.
From the best information which can be
gathered from careful study of the facts,
ard manifold inquiries made Of many per
sons, IL seems the outrage of yesterday had
its origin in a sensational, malicious and
untruthful telegram sent out from this citv
Thursday night to the Pittsburg DiSST;..seh.
The telegram was sent by II. q. Graen. a
member OF the Dispatch staff. who had
been sent here to .eport the reunion for
that paper, srs1 the material and pertinent
PORTION was as follows:
"'God bless our President, Grover CIeve-
land, Chief of the Army
and Navy
This inscription in big black letters
around a crayon portrait of the President
on a banner 10x14 feet, and gaily floating
over Market street, is the one grain of sand
in the eyes of the reunion Of the Army Of
West Virginia, and even this is only in
one eye. The banner is swung across from
the Office OF the Register, of which James
B TaLey is the editor. The latter has
never had to make affidavit te his politics
TO show that he is a Democrat.
"As feature of the trades display, the
phiz Of this Executive, with its affection
ate inscription, was considered appropri-
ate, but as greeting to the old soldiers of
the G.. A. X there are some who object to
it. There was considerable talk here last
night by some of the hotel heads. They
claim that it was only flung as an insult to
them. and that unless il was taken down
tonight they would either
TEAR IT DOWN TO MORROW
or march around il. Captain ]. E. Hart,
of Marshall County, a typical mountain
eer, and q bad man when he feels ugly,
said tonight:
''1f the blank rag isn't taken down by
tomorrow I'm BANKED if / don't charge on
it,
This Is only the Ialk OF the smaller por.
ton Of the more hot-blooded vets, but
there is liable to be trouble. fancy is a
fighter himself and wouldn't take the ban
ner down if his Office was raided. That is
about the only political incident of the
day.
The ideas here set forth, conceived and
put into type through the medium of Mr.
Green, ana against the advice of some of
his brother members of the press, who had
origin OF the trouble. The telegram was
read by the G A. Z. men OF Pittsburg,
and there it was they conceived OF the
gross insult to our people and the Presi-
dent, which was afterwsrd carried out.
The Pittsburg men seemed to have ha no
trouble in enlistiDg their brethren, wlom
they found in line on our streets zen
they arrived, in the noble cause OF sinking
manhood to crafty animosity and spite
and thus it came that when the head of
the marching footmen arrived near the
Register Office signs Of approaching trou-
BILE began TO be discernable. Men like
Tom Sample, of Pittsburg, could be seen
going along the advancing troops, pointing
out the banner, and urging the coosumma-
fion of the insulting plans, while others
gave commands TO left oblique into the gut
Ter on the west side OF the street. PJst No. 3,
Of Pittsburg, which followed imme lately
after the Opera House band of this city,
formed from single column into columns
of fours right under the szaying banner.
and marched steadily ahead, but soon after
they had passed the Posts following began
to dip their colors and to edge of to the
left As Post after Post came up their &C
tons became more marked and were ac-
compaDied with insulting gestures, vile
and obscene epithets, misses and other evil
dences OF outlawry and 1ndecency. CiH-
zens along the street who saw what was
going on bent their heads in shame at the
sight; but as yet no counter demonstration
was made, But the G.. A. r. men grew
more and more bitter as the column
moved ahead. and soon the scene put on q
troubled look and matters began to wear
q serious aspect. Evidently having a pur-
pose to dc all In their power to add to the
rapidly growing disposition on the part
of the g. A. r, TO make the Reunion end
up In the wrong way, q half-dozen lntelIi-
eeDcer reporters took their stand in the